It “could spark an intense geomagnetic storm, with auroras visible across Canada and even into the northern parts of the United States.”
It occurs when a solar flare, plasma explosion, or geomagnetic storm occurs on the Sun.
Our planet should brace itself for a “triple threat” from space, as a big solar storm is due to reach Earth as early as Monday, March 14, says Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist.
According to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States, earthlings may experience problems with radio and GPS, particularly between sunrise and sunset.
Aurora light shows can also be predicted in Earth’s mid-latitudes, adds Skov. Normally, auroras can only be seen at high latitudes, but those living closer to the equator will be able to enjoy the light show thanks to the solar storm.
Direct Hit! NOAA (left) & NASA (right) prediction models show #solarstorm to hit Earth between 12:00 & 21:00 UTC March 13. Impact should be strong! Expect #aurora deep into mid-latitudes, amateur #radio & #GPS reception issues, especially near dawn/dusk, & on Earth's nightside! pic.twitter.com/m9a24WgzIJ
— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) March 11, 2022
“Solarstorm & Aurora 5-day Outlook: Busy week with a triple threat! A big solar storm is coming sandwiched between a glancing blow from a previous solar storm and some fast solar wind,” Skov added in a follow-up tweet.
The solar storm will have a two-week impact on the globe, according to NASA and NOAA estimates.
A significant storm is expected on Monday, according to NOAA’s forecast for the next three days, with a 20% possibility that it may hit the United Kingdom.
The Met Office in the United Kingdom predicted severe winds for sections of southwest England and south Wales on Monday afternoon, with huge waves posing a risk to some coastal locations as well. The Met Office made no connection between its warnings and the predicted solar storms.
Strong #winds will affect parts of southwest England and south Wales over the next few hours, with a #warning in force ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) March 12, 2022
Large waves will bring hazardous conditions to some coastal areas too
Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/tQffRPHEUW
Due to the solar storm, meteorologist Scott Sutherland projected that auroras could be visible in Canada on Sunday night.
“As this long-duration flare was blasting out energy into space, it was accompanied by the eruption of a cloud of charged solar particles, known as solar plasma cloud, a solar storm, or a coronal mass ejection (CME).
“Even a glancing blow by a CME is often enough to cause a geomagnetic storm. In this case, though, it appears as though Earth will be affected by the densest part of the cloud.
“That could spark an intense geomagnetic storm, with auroras visible across Canada and even into the northern parts of the United States.”
“Get ready, aurora watchers! We may see geomagnetic storms as early as Sunday night due to an immense coronal mass ejection erupting from the Sun”, Sutherland wrote.
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